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Ford Ranger Won't Stay Running

Q.
Hey Vincent, I am working on a 1999 Ford Ranger, 3.0 Flex Fuel SFI, automatic transmission, P/S and A/C. I am attending a technical college and we have tried everything. Two other guys worked on it for two months and never got it running. Then my buddy and I started working on it and got it to idle in a week.

It runs well for about 15 seconds and then it sounds like it gets the fuel cut off, after pumping it for a while it idles again.

It will do this for about two or three times and then die. It starts up fine after it dies. So far I have taken the intake off to measure the fuel coming out of the injectors (around 2 ML) replaced injectors taken off a running vehicle. The pulse width is good, EGR is good, O2 sensors are good, unplugged the flex fuel sensor, replaced the MAF, IAC, crank sensor, checked valve timing (around 13° off). The fire timing is on and advances when we rev the engine.

We are on the third computer and it still runs bad. We are trying to find a used computer to put on it and try. We are the last chance shop. The computer numbers do not match, even the original.

The problem started when the customer took his snowplow off. We are thinking it is a fuel problem. We are not going to let it leave the shop until fixed. We are not going to let a piece of metal and plastic defeat us. It has been in the shop since the beginning of January. Any information you could give would be appreciated.

Thank you...

A. Well the first thing you have to do is get the correct computer in it. If you have been trying to get it to run right with the wrong computer, then all the work you have done to this point means nothing. Get the right computer and then we can go from there.

After you have the computer, you need to hook up a fuel pressure tester to see what the fuel pump is doing. Are you losing fuel or spark? That is the main question.